How do I receive faxes?
To receive faxes you need your own fax number, which comes with any subscription. Faxes sent to it arrive in your inbox and you are notified by email — and by push notification if you use the mobile app.
Last updated: July 2026
Getting your own fax number
Receiving requires a subscription, which includes a dedicated fax number that is yours. You choose it by area code when you sign up for a plan, and it is a US or Canadian number. Give it to anyone who needs to fax you.
Where received faxes go
A fax sent to your number arrives in your FaxTerra inbox, and you are notified by email — and by push notification if you use the mobile app — so you do not have to keep checking. You can open and download each received fax as a document.
Received pages use your monthly allowance
Pages you receive count against the same monthly page allowance you send with — one pool covers both directions. Purchased credits are for sending only, so receiving is always covered by your plan's monthly pages. If more pages arrive in a month than your allowance covers, the extra faxes still arrive and are listed in your inbox, but they cannot be opened until your allowance refills next month or you move to a larger plan.
Why a reply needs your own number
When you send on the free tier, your fax goes out from a shared FaxTerra number, so a reply to that number cannot be routed back to you. If you expect someone to fax you back — a government office, a doctor, a bank — you need your own number, which means a subscription. See what the plans include.
A couple of limits worth knowing
Toll-free numbers (the 800-style numbers) are not offered as receiving numbers, and moving an existing fax number over to FaxTerra is not available at this time. Received faxes are kept in your inbox for a while and then removed — see what happens to your documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I receive a fax for free?
Receiving requires a subscription, because it needs a dedicated fax number of your own. The free tier is for sending; free faxes go out from a shared number, so replies to it cannot reach you.
How do I know when a fax arrives?
A fax sent to your number lands in your FaxTerra inbox and you are notified by email — and by push notification if you use the mobile app — so there is nothing to keep checking.
Can I choose my fax number?
Yes. When you subscribe you pick your number by area code. It is a US or Canadian number and it is yours for as long as you subscribe.
Can I move my existing fax number to FaxTerra?
Not at this time. Moving an existing number over is not currently available, and toll-free numbers are not offered as receiving numbers.
Do received faxes use my pages?
Yes. Received pages draw from the same monthly allowance as sending — one pool covers both. Credits are for sending only, so receiving is covered by your plan's monthly pages.